And Yet Here We Are
by Merinus
Summary: Instead of trying to kill Snow White, the evil queen tries a different approach.


**And Yet Here We Are**

 **Chapter 1**

The jealous queen had transformed herself into a hideous hag, her pet raven scared at the sight.

A perfect disguise, indeed.

She didn't need to worry about the fact that she was now the ugliest of them all. Since she knew how to transform herself into a hag, she also knew how to become her beautiful self again.

However, just because she was a very good magician, this didn't mean she could transform herself into the fairest of them. Her magic powers were not unlimited.

\- And now, a special sort of death for one so fair.

She took a weird-looking tome from shelf. She leafed through the book, searching for a suitable spell. Something to take care of princess Snow White, dubbed "the fairest of them all" by the queen's magic mirror. And after a few seconds, she thought she found something fitting.

\- Poisoned apple… sleeping death. "One taste of the Poisoned Apple and the victim's eyes will close forever in the Sleeping Death…" It would be perfect for the girl. Imagine… when she breaks the tender peel to taste the apple in my hand, her breath will still, her blood congeal… Then I'll be fairest in the land!

She imagined the girl eating the apple, then, falling dead to the ground. She gave an evil laugh by the thought of Snow White dead. But then the queen hesitated.

\- But wait… There may be an antidote. Nothing shall be overlooked. She flipped through the book.

\- Oh, here it is… "The Victim of the Sleeping Death can be revived only by Love's First Kiss…" Hm, love's first kiss.

She pondered. Pondered over the events of the last few days. And there was that prince who had admired the princess just recently. She hummed before she talked again.

\- Love is a peculiar thing. Unpredictable… Now that I think about it, it's probably not such a good spell. There is still a chance, slim as it may be, that she might return to life. I think I should use another spell instead.

She started to leaf through the book again. However, every spell she found that would kill the victim had some sort of antidote. So she decided to use another kind of spell. Something that wouldn't necessarily kill Snow White. Something that would another effect on the girl. And soon enough she found such a spell

\- Ah, this is a perfect spell for the girl. It doesn't have any antidote. And instead of killing her…

She let out a demented laugh.

\- But why stop there, the queen said still laughing, and leafed through the book again. Why not try more than one spell…

* * *

It had been many hours since she left the castle, and she had now gone far into the forest. She wandered on the road to the dwarves' cottage. Hanging over her shoulder, was a bag she was carrying filled with various objects that she would use on Snow White. At the first sight, any of these articles would look like ordinary harmless, things. But, unbeknownst to anybody but herself, all the articles were filled with magic. The queen had planned it very far. If Snow White for instance didn't want anything edible, she might want something pretty to wear, or she would maybe want some unusual flowers to put in pots. Or perhaps sachets of dried flowers, more exotic than lavender, to spread fine scents. Or a pair of shoes, a comb, a necklace, or a sewing needle.

The evil queen cackled.

\- The little men will be away… And she'll be alone… With a harmless old peddler woman.

Up in the trees above her, many crows were now suddenly cawing, as if they had almost understood what she had said.

* * *

At the cottage, Snow White was singing to herself while she was making a pie. She was then surprised to find an old woman with black clothes, smiling and gazing at her from the window.

\- All alone, little friend?

\- Why, yes I am.

\- The little men are not here?

\- No, they're not. They're working in the mine.

\- What's a girl like you doing out here in the dwarfs' house anyway?

\- Oh, I'm just a guest, until I can find a new home.

\- Ran away from home, didn't you?

Snow White didn't answer. The queen then made an odd facial expression. Then she spoke again.

\- Makin' pies?

\- Yes, gooseberry pie.

\- And then what will you, after that?

\- Oh dear, I have to keep house for them and keep everything neat and clean. I have to make the beds, sweep the floor, wash the dishes, sew and knit, and when they come home the dinner must be ready.

The queen frowned, but she smiled her thoughts. Those were the same chores that the girl had done over at the castle.

\- It sounds to me like you work very hard while the dwarves are away.

\- Oh, so much. Even if the forest animals help me with some business, I still have to do most chores on my own.

\- Then maybe you could need something that would simplify your work, the queen quickly chimed in. Or, maybe something that would take your mind of the work for a moment. Let me explain. I am an old peddler woman who travels from house to house trading my ware. Would you be interested in buying something?

\- I'm sorry, but I don't have anything to pay you with. (Not even mother's old ring, she thought solemnly. Not that she would actually use it as payment. But it still grieved her that the ring was one of the few things she had from her mother, but she had to leave it in the queen's castle.)

\- That's all right. I'm a kind woman, and you seem like a kind girl who has suffered greatly. So I'll let you have any of my ware for free.

\- Oh, thank you. Thank you so much.

She walked out the door to the disguised queen, who opened up the strings on the bag. ** _  
_**

\- Feel free to browse.

The bag was full with all kinds of objects. There were awls, gears, tackles, trinkets, pickers and paraphernalia.

\- How strange that the bag can hold so much in it, Snow White thought.

There were some animals nearby who ran away when they saw the queen coming. But when Snow White reached down her hands to look through the wares, suddenly a swarm of birds flew at the queen, pecking at her, dragging her away with their beaks, and generally making noises, while a deer tried to push her away from the girl.

Meanwhile, a crow flew down to the ground and picked up a pearl that had fell out of the bag, and then another crow took a piece of bread. Then the crows quickly flew back up to the trees.

Snow White then shooed away the animals while she berated them for being rude and paranoid.

\- Shame on you, frightening a poor old lady.

When Snow White didn't heed any of their warnings, they decided to go away and warn the dwarves instead.

They both entered the cottage, to get the queen to sit down and drink some water and relax. The Snow White looked through the bag again, just as she was about to do earlier.

\- How long would it take for the girl to find something she wanted? Thought the queen. Hopefully not too long, or the dwarfs might come, or other animals.

Finally she picked…

Of course the girl picked the powder puff and the face powder, thought the queen.

The girl was already obsessed with make-up and beauty and romancing a prince at young age. So of course she would take some cosmetics to apply to her face. What else had she done for her the entirety of her short life, besides cleaning the castle on the queen's demand?

\- Oh, cooed the queen, why don't you try it right now.

She knew she would stay to see what happened next.

Then when she put that powder on her face…

* * *

She was still cackling when she exited the cottage. Then she saw the dwarves coming from the distance, like some kind of cavalry. The sight was funny to watch for her, and she thought that it was a bit pathetic.

\- Stupid little men! They think they can stop me. Don't they think I was prepared for something like this?

She calmly picked up a pouch from her bag, and then brought out some strange dust from it. When the dwarves where almost close enough to her, she cast the dust in front of her and in a puff of smoke, she vanished altogether with no trace.

And inside the cottage…


End file.
